A MAN who repeatedly attacked his wife during a long weekend of violence in their Yardley Wood home has been jailed for 16 months by a Judge at Warwick Crown Court.

A MAN who repeatedly attacked his wife during a long weekend of violence in their Yardley Wood home has been jailed for 16 months by a Judge at Warwick Crown Court.

Mark Easthope, aged 42, of Firth Drive, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to inflicting grievous bodily harm on his wife Suzanne.

He also pleaded guilty to assaulting her, causing her actual bodily harm, during a later incident over the same weekend in December last year.

Shane Crawford, prosecuting, said the couple had married in August 2003 and Suzanne's seven-year-old daughter from her previous marriage went to live with them.

But last year there were a number of instances of domestic violence, culminating with the events in December.

On the Friday evening, Suzanne met Easthope in a pub, where he had already been drinking, at 5pm and they had about six pints of lager each before going home at 10pm and sharing a three-litre bottle of cider.

An argument started between them and Suzanne decided to go to bed, at which Easthope tried to punch her, but missed.

He followed her to the bedroom, where she would not let him in and tried to hold the door shut with her body, but he was too strong and managed to get in. Easthope punched her in the face a number of times, rendering her unconscious.

The attack left Suzanne 'black and blue', with facial injuries including 'a horrific black eye' and bruising to her face, arms and legs.

Tom Kenning, defending, said Suzanne had an affair in the summer of last year while Easthope was serving a sentence for drink-driving.

The marriage became difficult, but Easthope was assured the affair was over and they became reconciled.

It became clear the affair was continuing, which led to disputes between the couple, who both drank too much.

Jailing Easthope, Judge Richard Bray said: "I have to sentence you for serious assaults when you began punching your wife so severely that you rendered her unconscious and she had very serious facial injuries."